Projection cabinet



Nov. 6, 1956 A. BEARINT 2,769,368

PROJECTION CABINET Filed May 18 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. BEARINT PROJECTION CABINET Nov. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1953 INVENTOR. fi/v/ry 5 ear/r Bysg C 3 United States Patent O 2,769,368 PRoJnCri'o'N eAmNET AlvinBannhr nadrpnn,Pa. Application 1's, i953, 'sniu No. 355,692 Claims. to 313 2 My invention relates to picture viewing devices and particularly to :viewing .devices: .wherin .the picture is. vprozsjected on a'screen. H ."It isan'object of my invention to utilize a cabinet of conventional construction andidesign and one tthatahas a presentable appearance in the home to house the picture projecting device.

Another object of my invention is to construct a housingfor the projecting device that is easy to-manipulate andswhi'ch does not require adjustment each.ti1;ne,it is '--.ope'nedor closed. 1, ,2,

Another object of my invention is to employ a housing for the projecting device that does not have to be emoved-when it is desired to use the-device for-the projection of pictures.

Another object of my invention is to provide a housing for a projecting device that requires the same amount of effort to manipulate the device throughout the opening and closing operation.

With the above and related objects in view my invention consists in details of construction as hereinafter shall be described, the description will be more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a cabinet housing my invention and shows it in the closed condition.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a cabinet housing my invention and shows it in the open condition with the projector, reflecting mirror and screen in position to show a picture.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the cabinet showing the elements in position for the projection of a picture on the screen.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cabinet showing the elements in the position they assume when the cabinet is closed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of the screen supporting member of the cabinet.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, I disclose a cabinet, generally designated as C, the cabinet of an exterior design best suited to conform to conventional furniture design, has a top T that lifts up when the cabinet is in use. Doors D1, D2, on the front of cabinet open to reveal compartments 10, 11, 12, 13 for the storage of entertainment devices such as tape or wire recorders, radios, or conventional television machines.

A central door D3 is arranged to drop to a horizontal position where it is supported both in its final horizontal position and in all positions from a closed to an open position by metal tapes 24 and that are spring balanced at their upper ends 26 and 27. These tapes and spring balances are similar to the types used to balance window sash. The dropping of the door D3 permits the user to draw out a supported mirrored surface M; a handle 22 is provided for this operation. The drawing out of the mirrored surface support member 16 automatically positions an opaque screen S, as will hereinafter be described. The mirrored surface, which may be of any image re- 2,769,368 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 fleeting surface, is backed by a backing board 17 which .is definitely positioned by the side members 18 and 19. The entire mirrored surface assembly is supported so that it may be moved into and out of the cabinet on horizontal guides 20 21 the guides being similar to the guides used for the horizontal movement of drawers. When the pro jectedtpicturewiewing cabinet is in use the ,rnirrored surface'assembly isfixedly positionedat a pretermined position in frontofrthecabinet, 1 V r V -,A,1ight beam :picture projecting unit is adjustably positioned within the cabinet and arranged so-that the picture it projects is directed; to impinge on -the mirrored surfac e M, from the mirrored surface thepicture to be re- ;flected onto theopaque screen 5, Verticaladjustment .':0f theprojected, beam 31-ismade possibleby..theadjustable mounting 5. ..of th pr iectina n ts This a justa .wmountingiscomprised of a-rnountingmember 32 hingedly r '-.connected133 tto ,a, support member 34, .connected ,to the :upperend of the support member is; an adjustment screw ;:34e21-nd5kn0b Rotationofthe-lcnob 34 and attached .wscrew '34; moves =the:*top, of the; mounting .member 32 ...inwardc and.-outward and thereby provides vertical. posi- ..;tioningz:of the projected beam 31v on thelmirroredsurface ;;.-.15:.=and inturnon the screen S... I r- A P ,;A vertically movable screen support member 40 is positioned'at theback of. the; cabinet;C,.-the..-.arm 4,0 an

1. its horizontaL-extension 41 ;is.po,sitioned byguidesmemb :.42-3I1d4 3i$0 .that .it..has restricredyertical movement: In

the. extended position .of zthettsupportz membenAO; it; ,to-

gether with its extension 41, supports the screen S in a position to receive the projected picture. In the lowered position of the screen support member, the support member 40 and horizontal extension 41 together with the screen S are housed within the cabinet so that the top T of the cabinet may be lowered. When the projected picture viewing cabinet is in use, the opaque screen S is fixedly supported by the support member 40 in a predetermined position directly above the cabinet C, see Figs. 2 and 3.

A flexible cable 50, securely attached to the outer end of a mirrored surface support base member 16, is arranged to extend over pulleys P1, P2, P3, and P4 and to be attached to the lower end of the screen support member 40, with this arrangement it will be observed that the screen S is automatically raised into position when the mirrored surface support member 16 is withdrawn from the cabinet.

Due to the fact that a force tending to pull the mirrored surface support member 16 back into the cabinet is created by the weight of the screen and the tension of a retrieving spring located in the screen spindle on the screen support member 40, a counteracting force is provided by the lever arms 51 and 52 and their associated tension springs 53 and 54. The outer end of the lever arm 51 is pivotally attached at pivot 55 to mirrored surface support member 16, the inner end of the lever arm 51 is pivotally attached to the second lever arm 52 at pivot 56. Lever arm 52 is pivotally attached to the frame of the cabinet at pivot 47. Attached to the lever arm 52, midway between the pivot points 56 and 57 is a tension spring 53. The tension spring 53 is attached to the base of the cabinet C, another spring 54 is attached to the lever arm 52 and cabinet in a similar manner, except that the second spring 53 has an adjusting means 58, said adjusting means provides for varying the tension on the spring 54. With this arrangement of the lever arms 52 and 53 and the tension spring 53 and adjustable spring 54, it is possible to create an outward thrust on the mirrored surface support member 16 sufficient to overcome the tension in the flexible cord 50.

Now when the user desires to make use of the cabinet it is only necessary for him to raise the top T to a vertical position where it is securely held (by means not shown), swing open the doors D1 and D2, drop the door D3 down, grasp the handle 22 and withdraw the mirrored surface support member 16 from the cabinet. This latter action causes the viewing screen S to be raised into the proper position, by the action of the flexible cable 50 raising the screen support member 40, to receive the projected picture.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

1 claim as my invention:

I 1. A projected picture viewing cabinet containing a picture projecting means, a reflective surface, and a rolled opaque viewing screen, said reflective surface being movably attached to and supported by said cabinet to provide horizontal movement of said reflective surface from and to a position within said cabinet to and from a predetermined position in front of said cabinet, said opaque viewing screen having one edge supported to permit vertical movement of said opaque viewing screen to and from an unrolled extended viewing position above said cabinet, means for attaching said picture projecting means within said cabinet to projecta light beam therefrom upon said reflective surface, whereby the light beam is reflected from said reflective surface upon said opaque viewing screen, said reflective surface having means thereon for extending longitudinal traverse of said light beam to provide enlargement of the image, interconnecting positioning means within said cabinet to provide vertical unrolling of said opaque viewing screen to and from a predetermined elevated position above said viewing cabinet when horizontal movement of said reflective surface from and to said predetermined extended position occurs.

2. The invention of claim 1, including flexible cords mounted upon rotatable pulleys within said cabinet to define an interconnected pulley system, said flexible cords having ends secured to said reflective surface together with vertical movable support for said opaque viewing screen, said flexible cords moving about said pulleys to raise a support member attached to said opaque viewing screen whereby said opaque viewing screen will unroll to a predetermined position above said picture viewing cabinet when said reflective surface is manually moved hori-- zontally upon guides thereon provided, and said opaque viewing screen will move out of said picture viewing cabinet to said predetermined extendedposition to provide means for automatically raising said opaque viewing screen to a predetermined elevated position when said reflective surface is withdrawn from said cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,438,022 Rundle Mar. 16, 1948 2,509,508 Kalff May 30, 1950 2,512,553 Reid June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 347,835 Great Britain May 7, 1931 

